Sepo has been CEO/Director of Street Friends WA since January 2020 after taking over from the founder Michelle Dunlop. She has first-hand experience of being homeless, which has inspired her to volunteer for Street Friends WA.

While being fully employed working as a mental health clinician with experience in the areas of children and adults suffering from various mental health conditions, also Forensic mental health and drug and alcohol. She has a dynamic and engaging style of presenting through, which she brings to life issues relating to homelessness and is passionate about helping the homeless and advocating for a better service, striving to break the cycle of chronic homelessness.

In June 2020 Sepo was nominated by Perth City Council as a City of Perth Hero for her work with the homeless in Perth.

Mark Gibson is one of WA’s most respected and well-known broadcasters. With a television and radio career spanning 30 years, Mark has reported from across Australia and around the world.

For 19 years, Mark was a familiar face on Channel 7 Perth across news, sport, weather and current affairs. As a long-standing presenter on Telethon, he helped raise millions of dollars for children’s charities.

These days, Mark is a talkback radio host on 6PR and a sought after MC for many of Perth’s biggest events. In 2020, he ran an independent , self-funded campaign as a candidate for Perth Lord Mayor.

Mark has volunteered his time to countless charities including Lifeline WA, Breast Cancer Care WA, Ronald McDonald House, Heart Kids WA and Alzheimer’s WA. Proudly, he is a national ambassador for Dementia Australia.

As an inner-city resident, Mark has become increasingly troubled by the growing level of homelessness in Perth and has vowed to do whatever he can to tackle the problem and to assist those sleeping rough.

Chris has experience in commercial business holding positions of director and chairman in UK Companies.

He also has experience working with people with substance abuse, and mental health problems, people released from prison and people who are homeless.

Chris holds:

• Diploma in Counselling
• Postgraduate Certificate in Alcohol and other drug studies
• Currently studying B.S degree in Social Work at Curtin University.

Chris believes everyone should have a place they can call home.

Michael Kiernan (B.Bus. Curtin University)
Founder & Director of St. Benedicts Foundation

Extensive commercial and corporate background in positions as chairman and managing director with Australian and UK publicly listed companies, membership of Rotary International and the Anglican Church.

Kerry Davis has over 15 years of legal practice experience in both large and boutique law firms in New Zealand and Australia. She is currently a sole legal practitioner located in Morley, who practices in the areas of litigation and dispute resolution, commercial and property law, employment law and wills and estates.

Kerry has a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in History and Politics from Macquarie University, and a Bachelor of Law (with Honours) from the University of Auckland. While at Macquarie University, Kerry acquired experience as a director when she was elected as the Treasurer and then the President of Macquarie University Union. Kerry was also an elected employee representative on the executive of the Service Workers Union.

At the University of Auckland, Kerry’s paper on constitutional change for Maori was selected for publication in the University of Auckland Law Review. Before qualifying as a lawyer, Kerry was the Regional Manager of a national employment agency. In that role she trained and led over 20 staff, was responsible for the financial management of the Auckland and Northland region, and developed and implemented marketing plans and affirmative action programs for Maori, Pacific Island and women students.

Kerry believes that commercial success and compassion can go hand in hand, and has a passion for improving the position of women and indigenous people in society. She believes that safe housing is a fundamental human right, and the foundation of living a dignified and constructive life.

Dr Barbara Nattabi is a Lecturer at the School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia. She is a medical doctor by training with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Makerere University in Uganda, a Masters in Public Health from the University of London and a PhD in International Health from Curtin University. For eight years Barbara worked at the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health in Geraldton and prior to that, she worked as a medical doctor and public health researcher for over seven years with rural disadvantaged and marginalized populations in post conflict Northern Uganda.

Barbara has a keen interest in sexually transmitted infections including HIV and has conducted research in this field for very many years. She also has an interest in several other infectious diseases including COVID-19 and has provided expert commentary to ABC WA News, Channel 9, ABC Online and Radio, The West, Perth Now.

With a lived experience of domestic violence, Barbara is aware of the long lasting psychological impact on families, particularly women and children. Barbara is passionate about individuals who have been rendered homeless because of domestic violence and how organisations can assist individuals to be rehomed and provided with financial, psychological and emotional support.

Lennett is a Noongar woman who grew up on the Moora Reserve with her grandmother, mother, uncles, and brother. She completed her Bachelor of Applied Science (Indigenous Community Management and Development) at Curtin University.

She is proudly committed to the Aboriginal community, as clearly demonstrated by her service as a Board member to several organisations including Yorgum (of which she is a founding member), Maar Mooditj and Moorditch Gurlongga Association (MGA).

One of Lennett’s goals is to take what she has learnt and use it to build a stronger, more independent community service, which provides culturally appropriate services at grass roots and community level.

Jonathan is a multi-skilled person with knowledge of precision machining, operation of machine tools and skilled mechanical work, involving supervision in a research, mechanical repairing of machinery and equipment. He has an Advanced Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Diploma of Computer Aided Drafting in Engineering, and a Diploma of Mechanical Engineering. He has excellent people skills and sociability has aided him with teamwork positions and allowed him to adapt into new workforce. Since starting he voluntary work with Street Friends He has gone on to study Certificate IV in Disability to equip him with more knowledge on how to work with people who are experiencing homelessness and have a disability.

Tom Gorman is the principal of Beacon Evolution, a business consultancy firm based in Geraldton which services a range of business and not for profit organisations through the greater Midwest region.

Tom has been working with mid-sized organisations for approximately 35 years by supporting them with financial and operation strategies to enhance their businesses. His greatest motivation and accomplishments come from successfully helping them develop from short sighted, high stress organisations to ones that are properly strategic, dynamically profitable, and highly resilient.

For Tom, in life and in work, it’s all about the journey in reaching the goals we set ourselves.; and it’s about being brave to grab opportunities when the present themselves. My life inspiration is the book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

Away from work he is proudest of his work in community organisations like Pollinators Inc, Rotary International, Regional WA Junior Rugby Union and Street Friends WA to name a few.

Tom believes strongly that we all have the power to make effective and significant positive change in our communities. This change is often beyond what many consider is possible but is achieved through effective partnerships that respect and leverage the unique attributes of each individual. The value of the group should always be greater than just the sum of its parts.